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This move was rumored for quite some time, and Sims is absolutely one of the top inline options in the 2013 class. The Spartan has a large base for blocking and is agile enough to be a dependable receiver. Michigan State's passing offense was putrid, and Sims was frequently missed when running routes as well as being asked to stay in on pass protection.

Multiple outlets are reporting that Ohio State DC Luke Fickell has been hired to serve as Cincinnati's next head coach.

An official announcement is expected to be made on Saturday. Fickell already had a little trial-by-fire test run as a head coach in 2011, when he served as Ohio State's interim man in the wake of the team's firing of Jim Tressell. That 2011 campaign ended with a 6-7 record. The Bearcats' hiring makes all the sense in the world on a logistical level, as Fickell is an Ohio State graduate with deep recruiting roots in the Midwest. At Cincinnati, he will replace Tommy Tuberville, who stepped down following the close of a dismal 2016 season.

Football Scoop's Zach Barnett reports that FAU is "in talks" with Alabama OC Lane Kiffin regarding their open head-coaching position.

This is a surprising development. Kiffin had also been linked to the open coaching gigs at South Florida and Houston. He lost out on the Cougars job, which was filled by OC Major Applewhite. Charlie Strong is considered a strong candidate for the Bulls' gig at this juncture. Even if he whiffs on South Florida or FAU, Kiffin could also potentially still hook up with LSU as offensive coordinator. Stay tuned.

Louisville sophomore QB Lamar Jackson was named the winner of the Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards.

During Thursday's award festivities, Jackson took home both player of the year awards in the Maxwell and Walter Camp -- strong indicators that he should be in line to win the Heisman on Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder also hauled in ACC Player of the Year and (predictably) ACC Offensive Player of the Year at the end of November. His absurd statistical season has been well-chronicled, but just as a refresher, Jackson racked up 4,928 yards of total offense while accounting for 51 total touchdowns in 12 games.

In a statement, Jones said, "I want to thank our amazing coaching staff, support staff and an incredible fan base. I know Tar Heel nation will always have my back." That he has even reached this point is remarkable. During his senior season of high school (2011), the 6-foot-5, 295-pound junior was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, which kept him to a wheelchair and caused a massive weight loss. He eventually landed a scholarship with North Carolina in 2013 after an intensive rehab. Over the past three seasons, he has registered 138 tackles (20.0 for loss), four sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. Over the summer, Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 79 overall player in college football.

Connections connections connections. Not only did Hawaii native Marcus Mariota eventually land at Oregon before going on to win the Heisman, Tagovailoa is currently attending St. Louis School, Mariota's old high school. The two are said to have a good relationship. Tagovailoa's father told SEC Country that he has already spoken with Taggart about this impromptu visit. "The thing with Coach Taggart — Oregon got him in early enough to do his recruiting," said the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Tua's father. "He’s so aggressive with his recruiting. He was saying what Tua can bring to the program, and I totally understand that." At the same time, he indicated to the coach that his son is "locked in to Alabama." Tagovailoa ranks as Scout's No. 36 overall recruit in the 2017 cycle.

"Westbrook is a slightly built wide receiver who's very crisp in his routes," Jeremiah wrote. That, of course, matches Greene's profile when he entered the league out of FSU. "[Westbrook's] lack of size and strength is going to affect his draft stock," Jeremiah wrote. "I'll be curious to see how fast he is when we get to the NFL Scouting Combine in February. DeSean Jackson has a similar build, but he had electric speed. I don't think Westbrook has that same type of juice." Oklahoma says Westbrook is 6-foot, 176 pounds. The closer he comes to those measurements at the Combine, the better.

Josh Newberg of 247Sports reports that Oregon HC Willie Taggart has contacted former Texas HC Charlie Strong about the possibility of becoming the Ducks' new defensive coordinator.

This is getting interesting, because Strong is also a leading candidate to replace Taggart as South Florida's head coach. Oregon president Michael Schill told Taggart to "Go out and find a great defensive coordinator" during Taggart's interview process. It appears that Taggart is in the ironic position of hoping that his former employer is lower on Strong than he is. Stay tuned.

Reddick was a key cog in Matt Rhule's defenses over the past few years. In fact, he leaves Temple as the school's all-time leader in tackles for loss. Not only that, but Reddick leads the FBS with 21.5 tackles for loss this season.

Florida HC Jim McElwain announced that senior QB Austin Appleby will start in the Outback Bowl against Iowa.

Luke Del Rio will likely serve as his backup for the Jan. 2 game in Tampa. During his session with reporters on Thursday, McElwain also dismissed the possibility that he would start either first-year freshman Feliepe Franks and Kyle Trask; playing either would burn their redshirts. "Austin right now will be the starter," McElwain said. "I think Luke should be ready to go; we'll see there. Another one of those injury guys that hopefully will be back and get some reps in, but that [is] yet to be determined as we go forward." Appleby has started the past four games for the injured Del Rio, going 85-of-143 passing for 945 yards and an 8/5 TD/INT ratio.

"I feel like we kind of overlooked them a little bit at first. It was a wake-up call upfront that said ‘hey, you got to bring it. These guys are playing. It’s SEC ball now," Allen said of Kentucky's offensive line. Allen notched a sack in that game, but this is extremely high praise from the highly touted defensive lineman. Kentucky center Jon Toth is on his way to the Senior Bowl.

Houston named offensive coordinator Major Applewhite the school's next head coach.

It is a direct promotion for Tom Herman's offensive coordinator since 2015. Applewhite has strong ties to Texas, after playing for the Longhorns and spending most of his career in the state with stints at Syracuse and Alabama. Applewhite has zero head coaching experience. As you know, it was previously reported by Dan Wolken that Lane Kiffin would likely be named coach, but Applewhite is more likely to stay at houston long term.